1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to propellants and, more specifically, to advanced liquid compositions for propellant application.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Liquid propellants include all of the various fluids used to generate energy. These fluids may be a mixture of an oxidizer and a combustible or a single compound. They include, but are not limited to, oxidizers, fuels, catalysts, and inert additives.
To be practical, a liquid propellant must be chemically and ballistically stable while concurrently capable of generating hot combustion gases when pressurized, heated or fed through a catalyst.
An extensive variety of liquid propellants have been tested over the past two decades. However, it has been impossible to find one which provides ideal stability, performance and low toxicity.
Hydrazine and aqueous hydrazine solutions are representative of presently available propellants. Although they have been utilized for propellant applications for the past two decades, concerns about the toxicity and carcinogenic nature of hydrazine have limited the use of the systems. Additionally, hydrazine systems are decomposed by passing the liquid over an expensive metallic catalyst which must be replaced periodically. The present invention overcomes these types of problems.